NBC, Netflix Cancel Projects With Bill Cosby After Past Rape Allegations Make Headlines
In the middle of comedian Bill Cosby getting a lot of negative attention as several accusations of rape surface, Netflix and NBC have announced they will not be continuing with new plans featuring the star.
On Tuesday, Netflix released a short statement about its Cosby special, saying "at this time, we are postponing the launch of the new stand-up comedy special 'Bill Cosby 77,'" USA Today reports. The program was set to be released next week on Nov. 28. The special, commemorating Cosby's 77th birthday, was going to be another in a series of recorded stand-up routines of popular comedians on Netflix.
This is the latest business fallout following the scandalous accusations against Cosby of sexual-abuse from now more than a dozen women. The incidents all allegedly occurred decades earlier in the veteran comic's career but has caused a public relations backlash against the former Dr. Huxtable. And now with Netflix bailing so soon before the release of "Bill Cosby 77," the performer's business deals are also being affected.
NBC, who was developing a comedy sitcom program for next year with Cosby, has joined Netflix in dropping the actor. The network confirmed Wednesday afternoon that "the Cosby project is no longer in development" following these allegations.
"In this day and age, when a simple 'Tweet' can get your upcoming appearance canceled, or even an entire series pulled (just ask Artie Lange or Cee-Lo Greene), shouldn't having over a dozen women coming forward with virtually identical stories of sexual abuse, drugging, threats, and accusations of cover-ups by dozens of hangers-on in Cosby's inner circle warrant the same?" Huffington Post commenter David Fagin wrote.
Cosby has refused to address the growing controversy and continues to tour the country. He is scheduled to perform in Florida this week and appear on CBS' "Late Show with David Letterman" on Wednesday.
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